The mural, created by Adam Cvijanovic, pays tribute to generations of immigrants who came to New York in search of faith and hope. It is the first major work of art commissioned for the Cathedral since the installation of its bronze doors in 1949. The mural prominently features Mother Cabrini among the immigrants. To watch a video from the Good News Room about the creation and dedication of the mural please click here
CIS-NYC Staff Attends Center for Migration Studies Conference
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Last week, members of our CIS-NYC team attended the Center for Migration Studies Conference on Immigration Integration. On Sunday, we were honored to welcome a group of conference participants to our office. Visitors toured the St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Shrine, joined us for a presentation on our work, and participated in a thoughtful Q&A.
Attendees came from across the country, including as far away as Seattle, Washington. It was an opportunity to connect in a small group, share strategies, and discuss how to move forward together in support of immigrant communities.
On Monday and Tuesday, we joined the rest of the conference at Fordham University, where we listened to compelling panels on immigration, integration, and Catholic teachings, and engaged in regional discussions. Especially in times like these, knowing we are unified in our work and faith brings hope for a way forward where everyone in this country can live with dignity, care, and respect.
This is National Migration Week 2025
For 45 years, the Catholic Church in the United States has celebrated National Migration Week (NMW). This is an opportunity to reflect on our history as an immigrant Church and the ways in which our country has been enriched by generations of immigrants, including the many Catholics who have adopted this land as their own. It is also an occasion to grow in appreciation of the challenges faced by migrants and refugees, both in the United States and beyond, and to express solidarity through prayer, accompaniment, and advocacy. Pope Francis had chosen “Migrants, missionaries of hope” for this year’s theme.
This year, National Migration Week takes place September 22-28 and culminates with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR). Although WDMR typically occurs on the last Sunday of September, this year it will take place on October 4-5 to coincide with the Jubilee of Migrants. The primary theme for this year’s WDMR is “Migrants, missionaries of hope,” which “highlights the courage and tenacity of migrants and refugees, who bear witness daily to hope for the future despite difficulties.”
In solidarity with the Holy Father, National Migration Week is using the same theme as WDMR and emphasizes the ways in which this theme and its application to the migration question is important for the Church in the United States. Given the timing of WDMR this year, we have developed resource for the Jubilee of Migrants, “Pilgrims on the Way of Hope”, which will help people to prepare both for the Jubilee and WDMR.
One concrete way to participate in this year’s NMW is by signing The Cabrini Pledge that appears on the USCCB website:
The Cabrini Pledge
The Cabrini Pledge on the USCCB website is both a reminder of our immigrant heritage and a call to deeper engagement with our faith in response to current events. At a time when our culture is dominated by deep political divisions and reasonable disagreements about immigration policy, progress can feel impossible. But by witnessing to the God-given dignity of every person, including the migrants and refugees in our midst, we pave the way for an approach rooted in mercy, justice, and the common good. And together, like Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, we can be keepers of hope. To take the pledge online, please click here
I PLEDGE:
• To affirm, in word and deed, the inherent dignity of every person, regardless of immigration status or country of origin, seeing each as a child of God before all else.
• To engage with Scripture and the Church’s social teaching, reflecting on the role of migration in salvation history, the history of the United States, and the history of my own family.
• To listen and learn about the circums
tances facing migrants and refugees, including those in my community, with an open heart and mind.
• To seek opportunities for encounter, so as to grow in deeper understanding and communion that leads to an authentic solidarity with those in need.
• To consider what it means to be a good neighbor and how I am called to reflect the love and hope of Christ to others.
• To encourage civic dialogue that places the human person and the sanctity of families at the center of policymaking, especially toward the end of meaningful immigration reform.
• To join with Pope Leo in praying for all migrants and refugees as fellow travelers on the journey to our true homeland.
• © 2025 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops -reprinted with permission of the USCCB
Cabrini University Alums Learn Stark Reality Facing Many Immigrants
What would you do if you were undocumented now? What would you do if you were a mother of two children, one of them one month old, and your husband is detained and sent to a detention center? You had been seeking asylum because of threats of violence in your home country and when you go to your immigration check-in and are told that your asylum petition has been denied and you have exactly one month to come back with tickets to return to the danger in your home country. Your husband is definitely being deported. Should you pay $10,000 to appeal? What should you do with your children who are US citizens?
These are the kind of decisions that thousands of immigrants must make every day as Homeland Security is going after many people who have lived and worked in the US for many years in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, but are undocumented or on Temporary Protected Status or seeking asylum or on a particular visa that is revoked.
Two Cabrini University graduates, who have spent much of their careers working with communities of immigrants, shared stories of the anxiety and fear and stress that these communities face every day.
Cabrini University alumni and friends meet each month to learn about and discuss social justice issues. The June meeting was led by Robin Larkins, Class of 1985, and Meghan Hurley, Class of 2007.
Robin has had a long career with various Cabrini ministries and is currently the co-founder and executive director of Spring Community Partners in Dobbs Ferry, NY – a suburban community just north of New York City. The organization particularly focuses on serving the growing local immigrant community and assisting parents in navigating the complex systems to help their families succeed and to advocate for their children.
Meghan works for CATA, the Farmworker Support Committee in South Jersey and southern Chester County. She is currently the Policy and Advocacy Organizer. She also served as a volunteer after college with the Holy Child Sisters in Peru.
Following the discussion, the 50 alumni participants wrote or called their U.S. Senators who are now debating the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” This budget reconciliation bill will increase funding for immigration enforcement from the current $34 billion to a proposed $200 billion. Funding would come from many sources, but especially by cutting social services such as many funded by Medicaid and SNAP.
If you are interested in learning about future discussions, please let the Cabrini University CAVS Mission and Service Committee know by adding your name here: https://bit.ly/cavs-ambassadors.
Shhhhhh…Don’t Tell Anyone…No Le Digas a Nadie
Shhhhhh…Don’t Tell Anyone…No Le Digas a Nadie
On Friday, May 9th, the Cabrini Immigration Commission, presented the documentary, ‘Don’t Tell Anyone/No Le Digas A Nadie’ at Cabrini Immigrant Services-Dobbs Ferry, NY. Karol Brewer, from the Cabrini Action & Advocacy Coalition, the Province Formation Office, and a member of the Commission, joined us for the movie.
CIS-DF invited their adult tutors and volunteers to view the movie. The movie is about Angy Rivera, who came to the USA at the age of 4 with her mother. She lived with a secret; she was undocumented. The very moving documentary follows Angy’s life for 3 years. It takes us through the process of her applying for a U-Visa. In time, she became an activist for undocumented youth, created an advice blog, Ask Angy and a YouTube channel.
After the documentary, Angy Rivera joined us via zoom. We were able to ask her so many questions and express our deep admiration for all that she has and continues to do for immigrants.
Advocating for Immigrants
Yesterday, Justice for Immigrants (JFI) joined the New York for All and Dignity Not Detention coalitions in Albany for the Stop the Complicity! All Hands for Immigrant Justice action. Together with immigrant leaders, advocates, and allies from across the state, we called on our elected officials to end New York’s complicity with ICE and take action to protect our communities.
We are witnessing unprecedented attacks on immigrant communities: from the handcuffing of children in Sackets Harbor to the disappearance of New Yorkers to CECOT in El Salvador, and the detention of people, both citizens and non-citizens, without due process.
That’s why we’re demanding the passage of two bills this legislative session:
• New York for All Act (S2235/A3506) – to stop local and state agencies from collaborating with ICE.
• Dignity Not Detention Act (S316/A4181) – to end ICE detention expansion in New York and ban private detention centers altogether.
We were proud to stand alongside community members and elected officials, many of whom wore a handmade cape bearing the NY4All message around the Capitol and during the press conference. Because art is resistance, too.
Cabrini Immigrant Services – NYC, Changing Lives, One Person at a Time
Amadou is a Senegalese immigrant living in the Bronx, he first came to Cabrini Immigrant Services (CIS-NYC) seeking legal support for his citizenship journey. During his
intake, he was referred for social services after sharing that he was feeling emotionally overwhelmed and struggling to navigate complex public systems alone. What began as a search for legal help became a turning point in his journey toward healing and self-advocacy. “When I started the case with you, my priorities changed,” he said. “I learned a lot about myself. I gained tools to overcome challenges, and I appreciated learning how to count on myself. You made me realize my own potential and that I have it in me.”
Through his participation in counseling and case management, Amadou found consistent, trauma-informed support that helped him feel grounded and empowered. He described CIS-NYC as warm and welcoming, and said he had never experienced services quite like this before. “Cabrini humanized my challenges and gave me the support I really needed,” he shared. Over time, Amadou began engaging more actively with his care. He developed stronger advocacy skills and began approaching his interactions with landlords, doctors, and care providers with increased confidence. He often speaks about how the consistency of services helped him regain trust in others and feel less alone.
With the support of CIS-NYC, Amadou secured a CityFHEPS housing voucher, received increased hours for home care assistance, and was connected to resources and education around the citizenship process. These concrete changes, paired with emotional and practical support, helped him envision a more stable future. Reflecting on his experience, he said, “I used to think of Cabrini as just a place to learn a few tools, but I ended up getting so much more. CIS is very involved. You don’t say, ‘I helped you with this,’ you say, ‘You did this, and we worked together.’ That makes all the difference.”